ABSTRACT
AIM: To study the central mechanism of intracerebral interleukin-1? in restraint stress-induced pressor response in rats. METHODS: Cardiovascular radio-telemetry system, stereotaxic microinjection system and neuroelectrophysiological methods were used to investigate the role of intracerebral interleukin-1? in pressor response induced by restraint stress, and the relation with the changes of discharge in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL) neuron. RESULTS: The pressor response was induced by restraint stress and was reduced by intracerebral-ventricular injection of (icv) IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-Ira) in conscious rats. The pressor response was directly induced by IL-1 (icv), which is related to increase of the extracellular discharge frequency in RVL neurons. CONCLUSION: Intracerebral IL-1? mediates pressor response induced by restraint stress, the mechanism may be closely related to RVL.